Hand-bag.



P J. FLANAGAN.

HAND BAG.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 4,1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

wi tvwooeo the invention consists of the novbl features of folded pre paratory PATRIcn J. r-LANAGAN,

or fEvERETrMAs'sA'c'nUsETTs, AssIeNoR To AUeUsrUs'DANIELs,

OF SOUTH'BRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ARTHUR BfC/HAMPLIN, OF EVER-ETT, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

'HAND-BAG..

. Specicat'zion of Letters Patent.l

` Patented May 4, 1909.

Applicationfiled December 4, 1908. Serial No. 465,981.

-T o all `whom it may conce-rn."

'Be 1t known that I, PATRICK JQFLANAGAN,

acitizen of the United States, residing at Everet-t, in the county of Suffolk andState-'of Massachusetts, have invented certain newl and useful Improvements in HandeBags, of

which the following is a specification, refer-l ence beinghad -to ings.

This invention relates vto improvements in the accompanying drawhand bags o'r satchels of that class w *hich may beconverted -into different sizes'y by folding andl fastening its parts.

One object of the invention lsto provide a folding hand bag of this-charct'er'which will inexpensive 1n construct-lon,

be simple and neat in appearance when either fold'edor extended and strong and durable in use.`

A further object of the invention is to prolvide an improved flap which serves not only to fasten the bag material in folded position but-'also to conceal the fold and render the device more ornamental and attractive in appearance.

vide an improved foldable bott in for thebafr l D tened in position to provide rectangular or other shape.

1th the above and other objects 1n view,

construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully lde-v scribed and claimed, and illustratedinthe accompanying drawings, in 'Which-'e- Figure l is a perspective 'vienof the improved hand bag showing it in its opened or extended positionv and also n is an end view ofthe bag 'showing its, bottom flexible materia In the resentembodiment of theinventienthe ag is adapted tofold once upon i 3 secured to the inner A further object ofthe invention is to proshowing' a por-- tion of one of its sides broken away; Flg; 2y

to foldingith'e bag mate-k itself to reduce its size one-half and when extended it is adapted to have arectangular bottom, the shape of which is preserved by a distending device consistingof two lon itudinally extending reinforcing strips or p ates face of the bottom of the bag.` These strips 3 are of equal size and each is of slightly less length than the length of the bottom of thebag and of 'slightly less Width than half of the Width of the bottom, their opposing inner edges being spaced apart so that they'T nay fold upwardly and ineach other when the bottom Wardly toward is folded, as shown in Fig. 2 of thedraw ings. The distending strips or devices 3 are reta-ined in their opened or extended position shown in Figs. 1 and 5- of the drawings by means ofiwings 4 formed at the ends of the 4bag. These Wings extend inwardly and when the bag is unfolded or opened `their lower portions fold upon'themselves to pro- Vide supplementalwings or folds 5 which rest upon the end portions of the strips 3 and are retained thereon by detachable fastening devices 6 preferably of the resilient head and socket type, as illustrated in the drawings.

Two of theco-acting fastenings 6 are'provided at each end of the bag, one being for one end of each of the strips 3, as Will be seen upon reference to Fig. 1' of the drawings.

-lYhen the fastenings 6 arelloosened the folds 'or Wings 5 straighten up and the wings 4 fold jlnw'ardly, as the bottom of the bag folds.

When the bottoni is opened or unfolded the Wingsft swing ,out to a flat vertical position Whilethe Wings o r folds 5 drop down upon Athe bottom so'that the co-acting fastenlngs 6 maybe engaged'with each other. It'will be noted that by making the bottom'in this manner with the distending strips or devices Band with the 4fa/s 'ening means for the saine, the bag when extended will havea square bottom Whichwill lue-maintained in a flat position, 'and at thesame time one which may be quickly and easilyfolded when it 1s desired'to reduce the size of the bag. The

latter is accomplished by first folding the v bottom to its posltion 'shown' in Fig. 2 and then folding the bag-material over upon itself so 4that the portion which forms 'the bottom of the bag When extended, will enterbeneath .a Hap 7 rovided at theupper edge of the bag materia u pon one side.' This flap 7 may be of any suitable cbnstru'ction, shape or deslgn,

but it preferably entends longitudinally the full length of the bag so as to effectively hide the fold in the bag material. lt maybe ornamented or of any fancy design to-render the bag more attractive in appearance. In addition to these uses, it serves a further function of fastening the bag material in its folded position, the same being accompli'shed by providing co acting or detachable fastenings 8, preferably, .of the resilient head and socket type, as-shown. 'Three of the coacting fastenings 8 are preferably employed,

one being at the center of the flap and the other two adjacent its ends, thesocket members of the fastenings being preferably upon the under faceof the flap land the head memi bers upon the outer face of the bag material 'Fig 2 of the drawings,

adjacent to that side edge of its bottoni which is opposite to the side on which the flap 7 is. arranged. v

ln operation, assuming the bag to be in its unfolded or extended position shown in Fig.

l, when it is desired to `make the bag smaller in size the co-acting fastenings 6 are separated and the wings or folds 4, 5 at the ends of the bag are pressed inwardly, whereupon.

the bottom wil fold toits position shown in 'ihe bag material may be then folded over upon itself so that its folded bottom portion will enter beneath the flap 7 and 'may be retained in such folded position, as shown in Fig. 3,'by engaging the Ament and details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention and lwithout departing from its spirit.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A hand bag comprising a hinged frames a bag material secured thereto and adapted to be folded upon itself, said bag material having end wings to fold inwardly when the bag is folded and to fold downwardly to )rovide supplemental folds to rest upon the bottom of the bag Vwhen the latter 1s extended, spaced distending strips upon the bottom of the bag adapted to fold together, co-acting fastening devices on said supplemental folds or wings adjacent the ends of the bag bottoin to retain the distending strips in open position-and provide a `flat bottom for the bag i when extended, a flap to receive the foldof the bag beneath it and thereby conceal the -I fold and co-aeting fastening devices on theflap and folded portion of the bag material to retain the bag in' folded position.

2. A hand bag comprising a hinged frame, a bag material secured thereto and adapted to be folded upon itself and ada )ted tolbe secured in folded position, said ag material having end wings to fold inwardly when the bag is folded and to fold domiwardly to provide supplemental folds to rest upon the bottom of the bag whenthe latter is eX-` tended, spaced distending strips upon the bottom of the bag adapted to fold together and co-acting fastening devices on said supplemental folds or'wings adjacent the ends of the bag bottom to ret-ain the distending strips in open position and provide a flat bottom for the bagfwhen extended.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto allx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PATRCK J FLANAGAN. 'Witnessesz EDWARD CREsswELL, ALICE M. CHAMPLIN. 

